The Austria Placard

About the Work and the Background

Length: 2:30 min . Production: Feb 2000
Found Footage: "1. April 2000" B/W Austrian full feature, TV coverage from Asia



At the beginning of the year 2000, a new government came to power in Austria. The right wing was getting more and more powerful. Jörg Haider, the leader of the Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ) was the subject of many demonstrations. The media and politicians put the stamp on the Austrian people. Many foreign connections to Austria were abruptly broken off.
Was Austria atoning for the handling of the victim theory? Is the Austrian a Nazi? Is the Austrian ashamed? This short film seeks to go over these questions in striking form, and in addition seeks to show the situation of that time even more boldly and ironically.
Not all Austrians believed in a return to the right. Statements about Haider like "He doesn't really mean it" show the naivety of many voters. Jörg Haider really does mean it. The other members of his party really mean it. And the people really mean it. The film tries to peel back Austria's opinions. Too many people just think "the outside world should leave us in peace! We really aren't Nazis!" A mirror should reflect and disclaim these thoughts.

Austria needs placards in order to wake up from the lovely nightmare. Placards which would be of no use from the foreigners. Placards from Austria need the country. The land of the placards becomes the placard. The life - only still a placard.

The found footage work "The Austria Placard" ("Das Österreich-Plakat") deals with this change of government. Aesthetically, unaesthetically, boldly, unboldly. The confrontation of national and international coverage plays just as an important role as the production of found footage to moving image collage. The found footage largely stems from the Austrian full feature "1. April 2000" (B/W) and from far-east TV newscasts of the change of power in Austria.

Premiere

First shown on April 1, 2000 at the Austrian film festival DIAGONALE in Graz.